Summary
Mufasa: The Lion King,the prequel to Disney’s 2019 “live-action” adaptation ofThe Lion Kingwas initially projected to battle Paramount’sSonic the Hedgehog 3for December box office supremacy. Not only has it failed to outpace the blue blur, but the photorealistic animation fell far behind the commercial magic of its predecessor.
BothMufasa: The Lion KingandSonic the Hedgehog 3approached the box office off the backs of successful predecessors. The Lion King remake finished its theatrical run in 2019 as the seventh highest-grossing film of all time with a $1.66 billion box office haul. True to Hollywood fashion, a sequel was greenlit, but instead of being a remake ofThe Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, it would tell the tale of Mufasa before he ruled the Pridelands. The first twoSonic the Hedgehogfilms broke several records forvideo game-to-film adaptationsand the inclusion of Keanu Reeves to voice the big baddie, Shadow, inSonic the Hedgehog 3, also fanned hype. Thus, both animated releases were poised to be the year’s yuletide equivalent ofWickedandGladiator II’s mash-up.
Mufasa: The Lion King Opened Below Expectations
Sonic the Hedgehog Outpaced Mufasa: The Lion King at the Box Office
Projections forMufasa: The Lion King’s opening weekend reached as high as $50 million. However, according toBox Office Mojo, the Barry Jenkins animation finished its opening weekend with $35 million across 4,100 screens in North America, and $87.2 million internationally for a $122.2 million global haul—leagues behind the $191.8 million domestic, $254 million international and $446 million global debut of its predecessor, Jon Favreau’sThe Lion King. At the end of the December 20-22 weekend,Mufasa: The Lion Kingfinished behind rivalSonic the Hedgehog 3in the US box office charts. The latter’s domestic opening weekend numbers are at a solid $60 million—$12 million below the $72 million ofSonic the Hedgehog 2, but a little over the $58 million of 2020’sSonic the Hedgehog—across 3761 theaters in North America.
It’s worth noting that, unlikeMufasa: The Lion King,Sonic the Hedgehog3actually opened slightly higher than initial forecasts of $55 million. Although it awaits a broad international release, analysts expect a similarly strong outing.Mufasa: The Lion King’s commercial underperformance is not a total surprise. The 2019 remake arguably made that much because of itsgroundbreaking animation technology, Beyonce’s star power, and nostalgia. Once viewers had their fill, it was hard to convince them to show up for another, even when it isn’t a story rehash like the first. And less-than-stellar reviews of the movie are proving audiences right.
Nonetheless,Mufasa: The Lion Kingis far from a box office flop. Just asThe Lion Kingproved in 2019, international audiences are more receptive to these kinds of Disney remakes, and this prequel is bound to see better fortunes abroad than at home. Besides, a huge turnout during Christmas proper is a near guarantee. But with what Variety estimates to be a combined production and marketing budget of roughly $300 million, Disney would be hard-pressed to achieve the 2x multiplier needed to push the movie past break even. As forSonic the Hedgehog 3, Paramount doesn’t need convincing that this is a potential goldmine, having alreadygreenlit Sonic the Hedgehog 4and debuted a Knuckles spin-off series in July.
Mufasa: The Lion Kingwasreleased on December 20 and is currently showing in theaters worldwide.
